


Mother's Day

by bookscape



Category: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 08:36:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20306590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookscape/pseuds/bookscape
Summary: Curley, Sparks and Morton feel inspired to write letters to their mothers.





	Mother's Day

‘Sparks’, aka LTJG Andrew Connolly was using some of his off duty time to finish a letter he had begun the previous day. He was still feeling the stress of their last mission, one where they had thought the admiral and skipper dead and that after the loss of the Angler with all hands on board.* It was so hard when you couldn’t even say anything about what was bothering you, he thought. Everything on this boat was classified, it seemed. 

He looked at the letter and then crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash. A clean sheet stared at him. He began again. 'Mom, here it is almost Mother’s Day. Obviously you won’t get this in time as we are at sea and won’t be in a port for another week. It’s been a very stressful past two weeks. I can’t say much about it because of the nature of the mission, but we thought for a while we had lost the admiral and the captain. They are okay as are the rest of us.

I do want you to know that I have been thinking about you and not just because it’s Mother’s Day. I think of you a lot. I remember how you always believed in me. I remember that time Dad was so disappointed I didn’t go to law school and become a lawyer like he is. How you came out on the porch after one of Dad’s pep talks with that tray of lemonade and three glasses. As you’re pouring the lemonade, you’re saying… “Now Hank, Andy is a wizard with electronics, why shouldn’t he go in the Navy? Being an officer in the Navy would be a wonderful career.” You winked at me, Mom, and then declared that the most handsome men in the world were men in uniform. Excepting Dad, of course. Dad sighed and then grinned. You have such a knack of diffusing an argument. I try to do that when I’m working. Sometimes it’s hard, but for the most part--'

“Sorry to disturb you, sir,” Chief Curley Jones said from the doorway of the junior officer’s wardroom. “Have you seen Mr. Morton?”

“No, Chief. Not since I got off duty. Sorry I can’t help you more.”

“That’s okay, Lieutenant.” Curley paused. “A letter home?”

“Figured I owed my mother a note, anyway.”

“I oughta send something home, too. Time just seems to get away.” 

Neither spoke for a moment and then Curley blushed. Sparks figured he was feeling embarrassed for having intruded on his private doings. “I understand perfectly. I should have done this in time to drop it in the mail at Pearl. I just didn’t do it. But you know, even a late note lets your folks know that you care.”

“Yes, sir. Thanks, I might just do that before I hit the rack.”

“Good luck finding Mr. Morton, Chief.”

“Thanks!” Curley left and Sparks returned to his letter. 

There were all the times Mom came to Science Fairs and basketball games. Even when they had to travel to away games, she was there. Except that time when she was so sick. He had been so worried Coach took him out of the game in the first five minutes. Thankfully, she had recovered fairly soon and had resumed attending his games. Band, too. When dad complained about his practicing Mom had handed him two cotton balls, he remembered, laughing. Basketball was more palatable to Dad. They could practice that together, but Dad hadn’t been able to come to all his games. He pictured Mom in the stands, yelling her head off. He smiled and continued. 'Thank you for always being there for me. When things get way over our heads here, I remember that and know your thoughts and prayers are with me. Thanks, Mom. And Happy Mother’s Day. Love, Andy.' 

****

Curley continued to think about his conversation with Lt. Connolly off and on through his watch. He really did need to send a note home. It had been too long. When he got off his duty watch, he sat down at the desk in the ‘goat locker’** he shared with the other chiefs, turned on a tiny light, and pulled a sheet of paper and a pencil from the bottom drawer. Some people thought you had to write a letter with a pen, but his thoughts changed even as he was writing a sentence, so he preferred something he could correct. 

“Dear . . .” He stopped. Who should get the first letter, he wondered? His oldest sister, Amanda was the maddest when he didn’t write often enough. He guessed she had a right to bellyache. It was a long time between letters and she did like hearing his stories. 

‘Dear Sis,’ he began. ‘Sorry it’s been so long.’ Curley paused again. How long had it been? Calculating, he swore softly under his breath. A glance at the three chiefs in their racks showed they hadn’t been awakened. ‘Too long. What a year! Gettin this boat in the water, breaking in a new skipper and all those jokers takin’ potshots at us…’ Uh, uh, Curley thought, better scratch that last. …and with all our work. That’s better. He didn’t want to worry her and Bill more than necessary. I figured gettin a new skipper would be tuff, but it wasn’t as bad as I thawt . . . thought. Capt. Crane has worked hard learning bout this boat and all the crew. He’s OK in my book. Anyway, we’ve had to bust a few heads counting sea life (I’ll tell ya bout that when I’m home), and hauling scientists all over, but it just shows that this is one helluva lady. Couldn’t ask for better. 

I am going to be there for Tim’s graduation. I’m sure proud of him; vale- whatever it is, you know how bad my spelling is. Tell him that, will you? And Macie; is that boyfrend of hers still treating her good? Course, I’m sure he is, knowing her Uncle Curley is lookin out for her. Well, say hi to everyone and tell them I love them. Love, Rupe.’

Curley pulled out an envelope, folded the letter and stuffed it in. He wrote the address on it and dug out a stamp. It was ready for the first post office they reached. Probably Santa Barbara. 

There was still a piece of paper on the desk. He picked it up and started to put it away, then hesitated. For some reason there were words he still wanted to say. Wetting the end of the pencil with his tongue, he began.

Dear Ma, I know you hated all the Mother’s Day stuff. Said everyone should be good to their mothers all year. You were right. Wished I had done that. I was a real punk when I was a kid. I know I upset you a lot, but I know you still beleved in me. Every one said I’d either be in jail or dead by the time I was 25 cause I was messing around with the wrong kind of kids. You told em they were wrong, I wouldn’t be. God bless you, you were right. Cept for a little time in the brig for punching out a smart-a… Curley erased that last. Not fitting in a letter to a mother. …mouthed Army M.P. during the Korean War, I never spent a day in jail. I remember when I enlisted. You come down to the recruiting station for my swearing in, all in your Sunday best, grinning from ear to ear. I knew you was proud of me. That meant alot to me. I been thinking of all you did for me and the rest of us after Pop died. Wonder Woman didn’t have a thing over you. You sure you didn’t come from that island she was from?' Curley smiled at that thought.' Ma, I can’t thank you enough. I figure we’ll be seeing each other before too long, but wanted to write how I felt in this letter. You are the best. Your loving son, Rupert aka Curley.'

“Chief?” came a whispered voice from the doorway. 

It was Mr. Morton. “Yes, sir,” Curley said as he jumped up from the desk and hurried into the corridor. “I was lookin’ for you earlier, sir. Glad you found me.”

“I saw your light and wanted to get your assessment of that situation with Lawton and Alvarez today before I hit the rack.”

Mr. Morton was as bad as the Skipper. Everything had to be resolved before any relaxing could be done. “Two hotheads who needed to get their differences off their chests before they got serious, sir.”

“Throwing punches at each other wasn’t serious?”

Curley grinned. “Oh, no, sir. Not after I let ‘em know just what seriously might happen if they didn’t tell me what was going on.”

Now Morton smiled. “I knew I could count on you, Curley. Let me know if I need to talk to them.” The XO glanced down at the paper in the chief’s hand. “Report or a letter home? If it’s the former, you can wait until tomorrow, Chief.”

“No, sir, letter to my ma.” Ah, hell, he thought, why did I say that?

Morton raised his eyebrows several notches. “I thought your mother was dead, Curley.”

“Ah, uh, it’s really just some thoughts for my oldest sister, Mr. Morton.” He felt his face flushing and could see by the XO’s expression that he noticed. 

“Sorry, Curley, I didn’t mean to embarrass you or pry into your private life.”

“S’okay, sir.”

“Well, get some rest. We have those exercises to go through tomorrow.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

****

As Chip Morton headed down the corridor, he was thinking, How long’s it been since I wrote home to my mother. And he began composing his thoughts in his head….

God bless all mothers on Mother’s Day or any day!

* I dated this sometime after The Enemies. 

**Term used to denote places on board Navy ships that are reserved for chief petty officers. (Thanks, Helen.)


End file.
